As waters rise, petrochemical smells from many nearby refineries and chemical plants are gassing residents

In the wake of historic flooding and continuous rainfall, residents of Houston’s industrial fence-line communities are complaining about strong gas and chemical smells coming from nearby refineries and chemical plants, reports Emily Atkin.

“I’ve been smelling them all night and off and on this morning,” said Bryan Parras, an activist who lives and works in Houston’s East End, adding that some residents are experiencing “headaches, sore throat, scratchy throat and itchy eyes.”

Because flood waters have overwhelmed the city, residents say they can’t escape the smells while others expressed concerns about air quality. “Fenceline communities can’t leave or evacuate so they are literally getting gassed by these chemicals,” Parras insisted.